Sana'a:Events commemorating the International Week of the Deaf and the International Day of Sign Languages concluded on Sunday in the capital city, featuring an award ceremony that honored deaf creators and talented individuals under the theme "A Declaration on Human Rights for Deaf People."
According to Yemen News Agency, the event was organized by the Deaf Care and Rehabilitation Society with funding from the Disabled Care and Rehabilitation Fund (DCRF). The ceremony highlighted the important role that persons with disabilities play in national development.
During the event, Mohammad Aqbat, Undersecretary of the Social Affairs and Labor Ministry, emphasized the need for national revitalization through self-reliance, ambition, and overcoming resource deprivation. He stressed the importance of empowering all social groups, particularly men and women within the deaf and disabled communities, as key contributors to national progress and revolutionary goals.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Sarour, Head of the Deaf Care Society, discussed the significance of the week in promoting inclusion in education, employment, healthcare, and political participation. He advocated for improved digital and media accessibility through sign language interpretation and closed captioning, highlighting that deafness reflects linguistic and cultural diversity rather than being an obstacle.
Dr. Abdullah Banyan, Chairman of the National Federation of Yemeni Disabled Societies, and Abdul-Salam Al-Assar, Head of the Federation's Health Department, noted that the global week, observed annually in the last week of September, supports the legal recognition of national sign languages under the year's slogan, "No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights."
Additional speeches by Ahmed Al-Asadi of the DCRF, Executive Committee Official Mohammad Al-Hajj, and General Federation Care Official Issam Al-Assar praised the DCRF's continuous support and called for early sign language education and integrated school curricula for deaf children.
The event, attended by DCRF Advisor Abdullah Al-Hamdani and Director of Persons with Disabilities at the National Human Rights Authority Tawfiq Al-Thawab, included artistic performances, an operetta by the Al-Mustaqbal and Al-Amal Deaf Schools alongside the Al-Tahaddi Society for Disabled Females, and a patriotic poetry recitation. The ceremony concluded with the honoring of sponsors and outstanding deaf creators.
